Option to disable closing of pin tab

JSiuDev

Currently, pin tab can be closed with cmd+w or middle click, same as unpin tab.

This option will disable the close action for pin tab. When enabled, middle click and cmd+w will have no effect for pin tab. User will have to unpin the tab to close.

If a tab is pinned, usually means user intended to keep it. So it justifies the extra step. Especially if they turn on this option manually.
When spamming cmd+w to mass closing normal tabs, it is easy to kill pin tab by accident. Especially if "Return to last active tab when closing current tab" is enabled.

This can be an option in the Tabs setting. Option can default to disable.

Yannick

JSiuDev Wait... my pinned tabs don't close when I close tabs with CMD+W. 🤔

JSiuDev

Yannick

Just tested (Version 0.99.132.2-rc (WebKit 621.1.2.111.4):

Middle click - pin tab closed
cmd+w - pin tab did not close, but focus changed to a non-pin tab. (Bug??)

I press cmd+w near the end of the video, focus switched to the Notes tab:

nrudnyk

@JSiuDev @Yannick

I think this behaviour is exactly as in Safari, which does the following:

allows to close pinned tab with the middle click (which is reasonable)
when try to close pinned tab with shortcut - it selects first non-pinned one

So I think we should keep existing behaviour so it's familiar for the most of the users.

JSiuDev

@nrudnyk

I am asking for an option, not removing existing behavior.

Additionally, I see this kind of argument a lot. If I want Safari, I can just launch Safari.

Yannick

JSiuDev You’re right, the argument can be annoying.

But we consider that most users come from Safari first, which is why we try to make the transition to Orion as natural as possible. Also, they have a great UI team, so we don’t hesitate to take advantage of that.

JSiuDev

Yannick

Well, Apple may have one of the best dev team. However, as many big companies, they get into a cycle of putting in new features but not improving existing code.

Like this one, cmd+x and middle click with different behavior, is a clear UI inconsistency.
The "issues" of my other suggestions #10830 and #10831, are in Safari too. Those are likely from some universal template, got dropped in and no one border checking if all entries should be in a browser context menu, or if a 2 level menu makes sense at all.

I saw and also work with some big companies. They are more focus on new features than UI improvement. Their dev team more likely to do UI overhaul, as those are more visible projects.

Yes, MacOS/iPadOS (or other big ones) look & feel is a battle tested UI framework, but don't blindly worship their end products.

Also, I am suggesting an option in settings to toggle the behavior, not removing it.

Yannick

JSiuDev

I am suggesting an option in settings to toggle the behavior, not removing it.

Sure. It was just to clarify for you our general approach to features, not this specific post.